The Call of Wisdom in the Streets
“Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”
— Proverbs 1:20–33 (KJV)
In this poetic section, wisdom is personified as a woman standing in the busiest places of society—public squares, gates, and streets—raising her voice for all to hear. Her cry is both urgent and merciful, appealing to the naïve, the mockers, and the fools to turn from their ways before calamity strikes. The passage moves from invitation to warning, from grace to judgment.
The Voice of Divine Wisdom
“Wisdom crieth without”—the message is not hidden in secret temples or esoteric philosophies. God’s wisdom is public, moral, and accessible to all who will listen. The cry echoes the prophetic tone found later in Christ’s ministry, where He calls the weary and the sinful to repentance. The issue is not ignorance but stubborn refusal.
The three audiences—simple, scorners, and fools—represent progressive stages of rejection. The simple are gullible, the scorners are proud, and the fools are hardened. Yet the grace of God still calls out to each, offering understanding and the Spirit’s illumination to any who will turn.
The Consequence of Refusal
The tone turns solemn in verses 24–31. The repeated “because” reveals moral cause and effect. Those who despise wisdom reap their own fruit. When calamity strikes, it is not arbitrary punishment but the harvest of chosen folly. The frightening imagery—“desolation,” “whirlwind,” “anguish”—is intended to awaken urgency. The time to respond to wisdom’s call is before the storm comes.
Wisdom’s “mocking” is not cruel laughter but poetic justice—the voice of truth confirming that scorned mercy becomes the instrument of judgment. As C.S. Lewis once observed, “In the end, there are only two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, ‘Thy will be done.’”
The Fear of the Lord as Refuge
Verse 33 closes the section with a gracious contrast: “Whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” The wisdom of God, grounded in the fear of the Lord, becomes a secure dwelling. True peace is not the absence of danger but confidence in God’s sovereignty and goodness. Wisdom’s call, therefore, is not merely intellectual—it is deeply spiritual, urging repentance and faith.
Supporting Scripture
- Isaiah 55:6 — “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”
- Luke 6:47–49 — The wise builder hears and obeys the words of Christ and stands firm when the flood comes.
- Romans 1:21–22 — “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”
Application
Wisdom still calls today—through Scripture, through the Spirit, through faithful preaching and godly counsel. The question is whether we will heed the call or harden our hearts. Every decision to ignore God’s Word trains us toward deafness; every humble response strengthens discernment and peace.
If you feel distant from God’s wisdom, take heart: the invitation remains open. Confess where you have refused correction. Ask the Spirit to renew a teachable heart. Build your life not on cleverness but on the fear of the Lord, for that alone leads to true security and joy.
Prayer: Lord, give me ears to hear Your wisdom when You call. Deliver me from pride and from the folly of ignoring Your counsel. Teach me to walk in the fear of the Lord and to find my safety in You alone. May Your Word be my guide, Your Spirit my teacher, and Your wisdom my delight. Amen.
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